Increasing Gas Mileage

High Gas Prices Affect Contractors

A nationwide survey of companies rated on Angie's List found:

67 percent of respondents reported that the recent surge in gas prices have affected their business. Of those that responded yes, they are reacting in the following ways. 44 percent are planning service routes better. 38 percent will do nothing. It's the cost of doing business. 21 percent are cutting other costs. 17 percent are increasing prices. 14 percent are limiting their service areas. 11 percent are purchasing fuel efficient vehicles 10 percent will add a surcharge

How can companies battle increasing gas prices?

Follow your vehicle's maintenance schedule: Maintaining proper air pressure and alignment for your tires can increase gas mileage. Keep your engine tuned and oil changed regularly. Plan service routes better: If possible, service companies should schedule their appointments more efficiently, if possible, so they are not running back and forth across town.

Angie's List Advice For Consumers:

Know what you're paying for: Insist on itemized charges related to fuel costs so you know exactly what you are paying for. Don't get tripped up: If you'll be charged a trip fee just for the estimate, find out if that cost will be taken off your final bill if you choose that contractor for the job. Be creative: If your contractor - lawn service, dog walker, errand service, housekeeper, or tutor - has more than one customer in your neighborhood, see if you can coordinate service calls to cut down on your contractor's fuel costs, and minimize the pass-through. Prioritize: If you have an emergency service need, be smart in your hiring decision. Getting your issue resolved now - even if you have to pay a fuel surcharge - could still save you money in the long run. Comparison shop: If you're just getting started on your project, add fuel cost questions to your list of things to ask about, and don't be afraid to negotiate.

Car Experts Offer Tips for Better Gas Mileage | RISMedia

Translation: Avoid sudden stops and starts. Don’t drive aggressively. Slow down.

The return of $4-a-gallon gas has renewed interest in fuel-efficient cars and also called attention to money-saving driving techniques—things that didn’t seem to matter so much when gas had tumbled to more-affordable levels during the recession and its aftermath.

It’s a given that buying a fuel-efficient car makes greater financial sense when gas costs a lot.

Consider, when gasoline costs $4 a gallon, a hybrid that averages, say, 45 miles per gallon and is driven a typical 15,000 miles a year will cost $1,333 for fuel during that year.

A conventional compact car that gets 25 miles per gallon will cost $2,400 for gas to cover those same miles—$1,067 more than the hybrid.

And covering the same ground in an SUV that gets 15 miles per gallon would cost $4,000 for fuel—$2,667 more than the hybrid, and $1,600 more than the compact.

The differential explains why smaller cars helped to drive automakers to improved sales during April as oil and gas prices were surging.

Beyond trading in your car for something smaller or more efficient, there are many tried-and-true methods for getting every possible mile out of every gallon of gas, no matter what kind of car you drive.

“Everyone comes in the door and complains about their fuel economy and what can they do about it,” says Varrelmann, the automotive instructor at Arrowhead High School in Milwaukee, who has been working on cars for 32 years.

The solutions aren’t exciting, but taken together they can make a big difference—hundreds of dollars per year in fuel savings.

Slow Down

Each 5 miles per hour your drive over 60 mph is like paying an extra 24 cents per gallon for gas, when gasoline is selling at $3.96 per gallon, according to the government’s fueleconomy.gov.

“Think about sticking your hand out the window at 30 mph and sticking your hand out the window at 70 mph,” says Ted Bohn, a research scientist at the Argonne National Laboratory in Lamont, Ill., and an adjunct engineering instructor at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. “There’s a lot more force on your hand. That’s the same force that your wheels have to push the car forward, and it goes up exponentially” at higher speeds.

Slowing down a bit also can keep an engine running at its most efficient level. Pushing it harder costs more. “The engine is working harder to maintain that faster speed so it’s going to use more fuel to do that,” says Mark Griffin, service adviser at Hands-On Garage in Milwaukee. “If you decrease your speed, you will save gas. That’s pretty much just a given.

Improve Gas Mileage For SUV - Tips on Increasing Fuel Mileage For a SUV

Increasing and Improving Your Gas Mileage

Increasing and Improving Your Gas Mileage

Increasing Car Gas Mileage - Article by Jerry Lasgow Let us face it the fee of gasoline has stayed steady ...

Increasing Car Gas Mileage - Article by Jerry Lasgow Let us face it the fee of gasoline has stayed steady ...

Popular Science

GETTING THE MOST FROM EVERY GALLON Maintenance tips that improve gas mileage Minor bugaboos in your car that often go unnoticed take their toll at the gas ...

Popular Science

Radials cost more, but pay for themselves by giving longer tread life and by improving your gas mileage. The tire companies say the saving can be up to five ...

The Gas Mileage Bible

Kenny Joines and Ron Hollenbeck tell you how to get 30% better gas mileage quickly and easily using simple, clear steps that anyone can follow while exploding ...

Popular Science

Exciting new lab tests have shown that Slick 50 Engine Treatment did indeed increase gas mileage and horsepower, and it reduced engine wear. ...

Popular Mechanics

However, the conclusion for these test cases is clearly that Slick 50 does reduce engine wear and does increase gas mileage. -0.23 Slick 50 Engine Treatment ...